Question: what part did Hummer (subsidiary of GM I think) play in the toy contract? Are the corporate sponsored happy meals the ideaof McDs or the sponsor?

How about instead of changing to a different car we just dont have a toy in there at all! Or if you have a toy have it be an educational one? It should not really matter what kind of car or truck it is, but rather, in what way is the toy benificial to the child besides just another piece of plastic they loose intrest in with in a few minuts.

We have done a great job teaching our children about life. What's wrong with teaching them about saving our oil resources by making a McHybrid (explaining how we can save and still look styling).

McDonald's should offer educational items for children = offer a "slide rule" and
"abacus" with instructions on use; puzzles with arithmatic, spelling, history, geography, physics, languages, etc., books on care and responsibility for pets, kind treatment to all nature's creatures, etc., Random Acts of Kindness, teaching tools with the use of books, games, toys or puzzles about Le Mere: life of the oceans and seas, etc., teach them about astronomy and astronauts, art and architecture, music and musical instruments, science, nature, social graces, government, sports, international cultures, world globes,etc. Subjects that will introduce them to the world around them to stimulate their youthful interest in a variety of healthful subjects. There is no loss of decent and beneficial information and ideas for the greater good.

All this effort, over a toy? I myself, would rather see something being done (efforts being spent) on raising the quality of their food!

I agree, they need to improve the quality of their food and stop misleading consumers!

I don't know that the toy hummers will do any great damage to our children; how many of us who played with toy guns as children grew up to be peace activists? What does disturb me about this ridiculous marketing promotion is that it clearly indicates the priorities of its creators; it sends the message (to the parents more than to the children who are too young to understand) that profit comes before the environment. Whether you think this does harm is one question, but the question that concerns me is whether it is doing good, and the answer, clearly, is that it is not.

First of all, McDonalds needs to improve the quality of food that is being served to the kids. Think, organic!

Secondly, any plastic toy is a waste of oil products. A Hummer is ridiculous! How about a toy that can go into the recycle bin when the child is tired of it?

Personally, I've never understood the necessity to get a toy with a happy meal -- and that's one reason I never took my kids there -- the other was the poor food choices.
That said, if McDonalds feels they Must have a toy in the box, perhaps it could be educational and useful.

Bravo Professor Wigington for your brilliant comments! I agree totally. Any ideas on how to bring this about? As a former emergency room nurse ,I've seen children rewarded for their hospital visits by parents offering them a visit to "BaDonals" as young as 9-10 months old. How do we protect the children from their parents?
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